The following Haiku (Japanese form of poetry written in three short lines) is by Penny Harter.

It is on the dignity of the human person, the haiku is celebrated for its ability to express a simple moment in a profound way.

​the homeless mantakes off his shoes beforehis cardboard house

This haiku is poignant because "the homeless man" is viewed not as someone to ignore, revile, or to pity, but seen as just an ordinary human being who has lost something yet still maintains something deep within: dignity. ​

I have always admired Dr. Dyson ever since he came to Pasadena City College and spoke to us at length about his other book, Come Hell or High Water (i.e., I had some friends who were lost in the shuffle during Hurricane Katrina and I felt only Dr. Dyson and Kanye West truly cared at the time).

Also, shoutout to the late, great Chester Bennington of Linkin Park for singing the following song, which also shed light on the events that transpired during Katrina under the Bush administration:

​So, Michael Eric Dyson was born and raised in a Detroit ghetto. He worked for his family's nursery business at the age of 12. At that age of 16, he won a scholarship to Cranbrook, and after only two years there, he returned to Detroit and earned his high school diploma.

Upon graduation, he traveled south to attend Knoxville College and later transferred to Carson-Newman College where he earned his Bachelor's degree. From there, he entered Princeton University to study religion. He then taught ethics, philosophy, and cultural criticism at Hartford Theological Seminary, in addition to Chicago Theological Seminary.

​Currently, Dr. Dyson is a professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. He is a regular contributor to multiple publications and has recently landed a new talk show called The Raw Word with Co-hosts Claudia Jordan and Dr. Dan Ratner:

Furthermore, I'd be remiss not to mention Dr. Dyson's great writing on The Culture of Hip Hop, which evaluates the history an impact of rap music. He discussed how rap was deemed as a passing fad but as it grew, it became synonymous with inner city neighborhoods and particularly its place of origin, namely New York City.

​Dr. Dyson noted Run-D.M.C. as the group that moved rap into a direction of artistic expression. He said that rap expresses the desire of young Black people to reclaim their history. Furthermore, he stated that rap deserves attention and should have been taken
seriously for the simple fact that it paints a portrait of life as it must be lived by millions of voiceless people.

Thank you Dr. Dyson for never dumbing it down and inspiring us all:

SeshatCDG

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